Disney’s Owl House finale delivers a perfect ending

Only the third season has been cut to finish its story. The Owl HouseIt was not expected that it would do this much. From the beginning, it was impossible. As such a plot-heavy show — a rarity for Disney Channel — it seemed impossible that The Owl HouseIt could accomplish what it had set out to, despite being dealt such an inept hand. The show’s creators Dana Terrace, the showrunner, and all others on it manage to exceed expectations by telling an emotional story that transcends three episodes.

“Watching and Dreaming,” the final episode of The Owl House, doesn’t hold back on the emotional punches. One particularly poignant moment in the finale is what seals it all. It’s a very finely executed scene. It’s a risky, well-worn trope that is somehow treaded perfectly — and with it, the finale takes on a level of poignance that elevates the already great show to new levels.

[Ed. Note: This post contains major spoilers for the series finale of The Owl House.]

Image: Disney

“Watching and Dreaming” picks up right where the previous one left off. Luz and her companions find their way back into the demon realm, and discover what happened. The Collector is an omnipotent, yet still child-like entity that has taken over the Boiling Islands. From there, it’s a race to save the day: Luz reunites with King and Eda and they need to somehow convey to the Collector that his idea of fun isn’t so fun, all while the evil Emperor Belos possess the heart of the Titan, the large dormant creature that makes up the landmass of the Boiling Isles, so he can enact his master plan to eradicate all witches.

This finale has a less reflective tone than the other two that comprised this series. That’s not a bad thing. Luz spent two episodes reflecting on her own past and making amends for them. This season has seen the majority of emotional groundwork. All of this is used as a launchpad in episode #5, which sends Luz back to Eda, King and saves the day.

Image: Disney

Because we’ve seen Luz work out her issues and confront them head on, it’s very evident how both Belos and the Collector represent these trials that once stood in her way. Emperor Belos, who at this point we know to be the colonial-era witch hunter Phillip Wittebane, represents control and conformity — Luz’s external fears. But the Collector, with their childish impulses and deep insecurities, is more of a reflection of Luz’s greatest anxieties. Now that Luz has conquered them, she can extend a hand to the Collector and try to get him to see what he’s doing wrong. King, Eda, & King share their stories with the Collector. It involves returning to familiar places and recalling past memories. It’s typical finale fare, giving both the characters and the audience one last romp through memory lane.

Then, the impossible happens. Luz is killed halfway through the episode.

She sacrifices her life to save the Collector after Belos has taken over the Titan’s corpse and infects everyone and everything with fungus-like growth. The Last ofWe. As the mushroom growth consumes her, she looks wide-eyed at King and Eda and confesses that she doesn’t know what to say. And then she’s gone, all that’s left of her some little orbs of light that float around the Boiling Isles, visiting all of the other characters. They don’t know exactly what happened, but as they look up at them, there’s a deep sense that they realize it’s a goodbye.

Image: Disney

Of course, this is a Disney Channel show, so this death isn’t permanent. (Don’t worry! Killing the main character off in the middle of the finale also isn’t the move in a story fundamentally about finding one’s place and being around people who love you.) It feels real for five minutes. It seems so to the characters. And the episode gives this Disney Death just enough time to feel impactful, but doesn’t drag it out so it’s a gotcha moment five seconds before the end. Eda and King’s sorrow turns to rage as they lash out at Emperor Belos. Amity and the rest of Luz’s friends are shell-shocked in the moments before they rally. Most heartbreakingly, Luz’s mother Camila — who is still trapped in a frozen puppet form — sheds a tear.

But more importantly, this is the moment the Collector learns that there are people out there who will do the right thing no matter what — and that there are people out there who care about them and they should be worthy of that care. Oh, and that there is also death It isIt is a fact that occurs to mortals but it is secondary.

It’s a tricky trope to tread, but The Owl House It’s a great idea. And that just makes Luz’s eventual comeback even more satisfying. It feels earned, especially with the heart-to-heart she has in the “Space In Between” with the original Titan himself. Luz confesses one last anxiety — that she’s no better than Belos in her desire to protect her friends. It is dismissed by the Titan. It is absurd to compare. Belos wants to be the hero in his own tale. Luz is a person who has always acted in the best interests of others. It’s the last metaphorical hurdle she needs to vault over, one last insecurity to reflect upon, before she can pick herself up again and fight.

And pick herself up again she does — with a cool new (albeit temporary) makeover. King, Eda, & she have some fun in the best animated fight scenes in Disney Channel history. The most satisfying part of it all is we know that Luz’s emotional journey is complete. She’s accepted and forgiven herself.

The Big Bad is defeated in the end. Luz and her friends win, and they’re all reunited. There’s even a time skip epilogue that indulges a lot of fun character moments. But it’s not just pure fan service (even though, some of it kinda is). The whole thing is free from the start. The Owl HouseIt was about finding family. This story shows us how these characters can still be meaningful after all the time. This isn’t a story where the found family dissolves after the adventure or bittersweetly grows apart; these bonds are made to last and last they will. The Owl House gave us almost everything that it could’ve in its limited three episode final season — and also gave us a gut-punch in the finale that is going to stick with us for some time.

The Owl HouseOn April 9, Disney Plus will have the finale available for streaming.